Amphibian



J. M. H'Alr AMPHIBIAN Filed Jan. 1942 /M/f/VTQQ' JAMES /14/7 Patented July 23, 1946 Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application January s, 1942,sefia'1'Nc. 42.6,030

This invention relates to amphibian craft, and particularly to such craft as are adapted to be employed in military or naval operations.

It is universal practice in designing ighting tanks to propel these with track laying chains or belts, one on each side, and which for convenience will hereinafter be referred to by the generic term traction belt. It is also accepted practice to depend upon grousers attached to these belts for propelling the tank through the pulsive action by the grousers on the upper flight water when the tank is of the amphibian type. of the belt. It does this by virtue of the fact that These grousers, however, when operating in the the water surrounding the grousers on the upper water, produce a splash which greatly increases flight of the belt is confined in the housing. Thus the visibility of the craft in the day time and at the same Water remains in the housing 30 and night when in phosphorescent water. As any l5 merely circulates around the grousers 2l and factor which makes it easier to see a water-borne through the space 3| as the grousers travel craft employed in military or naval operations through this housing. The developing vof any correspondingly increases the hazards to which it reverse thrust by the grousers in the upper flight is subjected, it is an important object of my in- (in View of the pumping or Water circulation vention to provide an amphibian in which grouser which normally takes place when the grousers are splashis eliminated, in an open body of water) is thus practically The manner of accomplishing the foregoing eliminated so that the thrust developed by the object, as well as further objects and advangrousers in the lower flight 2,0 is fully effective in tages, will be made manifest in the following depropelling the amphibian Irthrough the Water. scription taken in connection with the accom- The extreme forward portion40 of the housing panying drawing, in which: is turned downward so as to deect down- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical side elevational view wardly any water carried from the housing by the of an amphibian constituting a preferred emgrousers2l. Impact of the pumped water against bodiment of the invention. the housing portion 4i) also produces a forward Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross- 30 propulsivejforce which assists in propelling the sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of'Fig. 1. amphibian.

Referring specically to the drawing, the am- From the foregoing description it is clear that phibian Ill shown in Fig. 1 comprises a hull II, I have provided an amphibian suitable for use in each side of which is equipped with an amphibian military or naval operations in which the traction propulsion mechanism I2. belt propelling mechanisms are provided thereon This mechanism includes an idle sprocket I3, a at such a depth as to be completely submerged in drive sprocket I4, a series of idle guide rollers I5 the water when the amphibian is in its normal and a series of bogie wheels I6. Trained about floating position. This provision permits the northese sprockets, rollers and wheels is an endless mal operation of the amphibian on land, while traction belt 20. Provided on the exterior face completely eliminating the splash hitherto proof the belt 20 is an endless series of grousers 2I duced by traction belt amphibians by the grousers which engage the ground and support the ambreaking the surface of the Water when the craft phibian Ill when the latter is traveling on the is afloat. land and engage the water when the amphibian What I claim is: y Y is aoat so as to propel it through the Water. 1. In an amphibian, the combination of: a hull The amphibian I0 is illustrated in Fig. 1 as it adapted when aoat to sustain the weight of said appears in its normal position in the water when amphibian; traction belt means including a series aoat. Here it will be seen that the propulsion of grousers provided thereon; means for mountmechanisms I2 are completely submerged so that ing this belt means on said hull for annular travel at no time while the craft is afloat do these mechso that both the upper and lower flights of said anisms break the surface of the water. Thus, belt means are submerged in water when the hull the splash and foam ordinarily produced by these is afloat as aforesaid, the grousers on the lower propulsion mechanisms is entirely eliminated. ight of said belt means being adapted to support Providing the propulsive mechanisms I2 on the said amphibian on land and to propel said-amamphibian III so that the upper ights of these phibian through the water; and housing means 3 Claims. (Cl. 115-1) are thus submerged, makes it necessary to counteract the reverse propulsive force whichvwould be produced by the upper flights of grousers if these were 'allowed vfree and open contact with the water. The developing of' any such counter thrust is prevented in my amphibian I0 by enclosing each of the submerged upper flights of grousers 2| with a housing 30. e

This housing substantially prevents any pro- 3 for enclosing the upper flight of said belt means and the grousers carried thereon to prevent an interaction between said grousers and the water such as would produce a counter propulsive thrust.

2. In an amphibian, the combination of: a hull adapted when aoat to sustain the weight of said amphibian; traction belt means including a series of grousers provided thereon; means for mounting this belt means on said hull for annular travel so that both the upper and lower" flights of said belt means are submerged in Water when the hull is aoat as aforesaid, the grousers on the lower ight of said belt means. being adapted to support said amphibian on land and to propel said amphibian through the water; and housing means for enclosing the upper flight of the said belt means and the gro-users carried thereon to provide an enclosed free space between the extremities of the grousers on said upper ight and said housing and thus prevent such interaction between said grousers and the Water as would produce a counter propulsive thrust.

3. In an amphibian the combination of: a hull 4 adapted to provide suicient buoyancy to support the weight of said amphibian when immersed in water to a given water line, thereby permitting said amphibian to float in and navigate on the surface of the water; a pair of traction belt mechanisms provided on opposite sides of said hull, and including traction belts carrying grousers and disposed in oppositely traveling upper and lower flights, said mechanisms being located at such a depth on said hull as to be entirely submerged when said amphibian is operating on the surface of. the water, as aforesaid, the grousers on the lower nights of said belts being adapted to support and propelVV said vamphibian when operating on land; and to propel said amphibian when it is operating on the water; and housing means for enclosing the upper nights of said traction belts and the grousers mounted thereon to prevent an interaction between said upper flight grousers and the water, such as would produce a counter propulsiva thrust when said amphibian is operating on the water.

JAMES M. HAIT. 

